Where the Black River Runs
by MiraClarinet
Summary: Blackpaw is a young apprentice with an unknown past. Abandoned on RiverClan territory as a newborn, she strives alongside her sister to be the best she can. Follow her as she tunnels into the past to uncover hidden secrets. T for room.
1. Prologue: Hollyleaf's Secret

**_I do not own warriors. I hope you like my story!_**

A black she-cat slipped into the clearing, her belly swollen with expected kits. Behind her, her two brothers, one ginger and one a gray tabby, spoke little, following in silence. Finally, the gray tom spoke.

"We shouldn't have left, Hollyleaf." He sighed. His blind blue eyes gave away his concern. She growled and shook her head.

"You know as well as I do that ThunderClan is not the place for my kits, not now. Bramblestar is turning the Clan to ruin. It is best for them to be with their father." She mewed. The ginger tom narrowed his eyes.

"They aren't even born yet!" He hissed, stopping in his tracks. Hollyleaf rounded on him, her eyes blazing with anger.

"What do you think RiverClan would say if I walked into their territory, carrying kits? They would kill them, me, and Wolftail!" She hissed.

"So you would rather give birth in their territory?" The ginger tom retorted.

"They will not be born in RiverClan. I told you we were going to the horseplace. My kits will be born there, and we will leave them at the edge of RiverClan territory." She explained as if for the third or fourth time that day.

"But what if something goes wrong?" His eyes turned from anger to warmth and concern for his sister. Hollyleaf's fur lay flat and she rubbed his muzzle gently.

"Lionblaze, that is why I asked you and Jayfeather to come along. I don't want to be alone, and I know you can help if something does go wrong, though I pray to StarClan it won't." She purred gently.

"I still don't understand. You would be such a great mother. Ever since you were an apprentice, you said you wanted to have kits." Lionblaze sighed.

"I also wanted to be leader. I never will be if Brackenfur becomes deputy. He is still fairly young, and will definitely outlast Firestar's last life. Brambleclaw's hearing isn't improving. He will retire soon." She mewed. Lionblaze rolled his eyes but they continued on.

Moonlight filtered into the horseplace barn. A few cats huddled around the black outline of a cat. Beside the cat, three kits nursed from their mother's belly for the first and only time.

"What are you going to name them?" One cat asked. Hollyleaf shook her head.

"I'm not. They are not staying with me. ThunderClan is not safe for any cat, let alone kits. No, they are going to RiverClan, with their father. They will be safe there."


	2. 1: Frozen Banks

A black she-cat trudged through the snow, her sleek fur puffed out against the cold. She followed a wolf-like tom, he mentor Wolftail.

"I want to check your fishing skills. You were a bit hesitant last time." He mewed. She nodded, bounding forward a bit to catch up to his longer strides.

"Do you think my bad fishing could be because I'm not a RiverClan cat?" She asked. Wolftail's whisker twitched.

"No, Blackpaw. Your swimming is as if you are a Clanborn RiverClan cat. Besides, nobody knows who your parents are. For all we know, you could be RiverClan." He mewed. Blackpaw looked uncertain.

"Who would my parents be then?" She asked. Wolftail didn't reply, but something flicked through his eyes, something Blackpaw couldn't understand.

Blackpaw scanned the undergrowth for any prey. Nothing stirred except the cold Leafbare wind. _The snow is so thick, most of the prey is probably tapped in its burrows. _She thought with a sigh. She realized how close they were to the river, but something was wrong. Normally, by now the roar would be thunderous and almost deafening. They were heading straight towards the fast moving twist of the river, where they would follow to the calmer part farther down. But the familiar sound wasn't there. Everything was quiet and still. Wolftail seemed to notice as well. He flicked his tail and bounded forward. Blackpaw followed with surprise tingling her paws. Wolftail had stopped at the river ban. Blackpaw skidded to a halt next to him, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

The river had a thick layer of ice above it, covered with snow. Below, small bodies of fish fought their way through the still watery part beneath. Wolftail stepped carefully onto the ice, standing and pounding his foot against it in an attempt to check its thickness.

"I have never seen the river completely frozen over, not so early in Leafbare, or at all. Normally, there would at least be a small spot in the middle that would still be fishable, though too cold for swimming." He mewed in disbelief.

"Could we maybe break the ice to get to the fish?" Blackpaw asked. She joined him and gazed longingly into the water. Wolftail shook his head.

"It's too thick." He mewed. "Let's go report this to Mistystar." He mewed. He turned tail and bounded away with his apprentice right behind him.

"This is terrible! The snow will keep the little prey in its burrows and now ice has covered our fish supply for the first time since we got to the lake!" Mistystar hissed.

"Maybe we could break the ice somehow." Squirrelpaw mewed. Her sleek gray fur had a tint of ginger and her eyes were the same blue as Blackpaw's. They held fear and worry for her Clan.

"It was too thick." Blackpaw mewed with a shake of her head, padding up to her sister. Squirrelpaw looked downcast.

"Maybe farther down it will be thinner." Foxpaw suggested. This time Wolftail was the one to shake his head.

"We traveled the length of the river. Even the wider parts and the pond were completely covered in the thick ice." He sighed. Murmurs of distress surged around the listening cats. Mistystar's tail lashed in frustration. She turned to Dappleheart.

"Take a patrol around the territory. Check all the streams and ponds. See if there is any water supply that sustains fish and isn't iced over." She mewed. Dappleheart nodded.

"Minnowsong, Pebblepelt, lets go." She mewed.

"Foxpaw, come along." Pebblepelt mewed. Foxpaw nodded and flicked her tail to her sisters before following her mentor out. Blackpaw turned to Squirrelpaw.

"You want some fresh-kill?" She asked, flicking her tail to the half-filled pile. Squirrelpaw shook her head.

"After the conversation just now about not having prey for the rest of Leafbare? No way!" She mewed.

"You should still eat what you can. The best we can do now is stay strong." Mistystar mewed. Squirrelpaw looked uncertain.

"I think I'll take some to Icewing and the kits first." She mewed, taking two fish from the day before from the pile. "Come on Blackpaw! We can share." She called. Blackpaw nodded and bounded after her. Icewing was cleaning her kits inside. The two kits were five moons old, almost six. They would be apprentices soon, which would mean Blackpaw and her siblings wouldn't be alone. They weren't much older then them. In fact, Icewing had been the one to nurse them when their mother had abandoned them as newborns at the border.

"Morning Icewing!" Blackpaw greeted. She lifted her head.

"Blackpaw!" Featherkit mewed, bounding forward. Her brother, Snowkit, was held down by his mother.

"What about me?" Squirrelpaw teased. Featherkit blinked before mewing a greeting to her two.

"Is one of those for us?" Icewing asked. Squirrelpaw nodded and set one fish in front of her. "Why don't you eat that with us?" She added, signaling toward the fish for the two apprentices. Squirrelpaw blinked gratefully as her answer and put her paws underneath her, setting the fish down and taking a few bites. Blackpaw joined her, but her mind wasn't on the food. It kept flicking back to the iced river. _What if it never melts?_


End file.
